WarnerMedia announces Abhishek Dutta has been appointed Senior Director and Network Head – Kids, overseeing Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia. Based in Mumbai, his responsibilities include programming, channel operations, acquisitions and promotions, as well as the content direction for the two brands.
“Abhishek brings with him a strong kids industry experience and I am confident that he will raise the bar of the kids’ portfolio and capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead of us,” said Siddharth Jain, Managing Director, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks South Asia. “I welcome Abhishek to the WarnerMedia family.”
Dutta will also be working closely with and under the direction of Leslie Lee, VP of Kids Content, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks APAC.
The new network head brings more than two decades of experience and expertise in the media and entertainment industry to the post. He has been a part of four successful TV channel launches as well as a digital platform focusing on kids in India. Besides his creative and programming skills, his technical skills include sound recording, voicing, music mixing and editing.
“The kids’ TV category has become more exciting than ever before. With my new role at the helm of Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia, I am looking forward to driving the current business through its next phase of growth. This set of brands are not only first movers, but also the most established kids brands in the country,” Dutta commented.
Dutta’s career includes stints at ALT Balaji, Discovery Networks India and, most recently, he was Senior Kids Programming Director at Viacom18, a company he joined in 2016. His various roles have included programming, channel operations and management, content development and acquisitions, and animation development.
The exec is a sports enthusiast and has won multiple honors for volleyball and handball. He has also been involved in the National Cadets Corps and has represented his platoon as the commander in India’s Republic Day parade.
